Texas Rangers Blog

PHOENIX – Call this an exercise in wild speculation. This is what happens when you combine three weeks in the desert, some interesting, yet potentially totally unrelated events, and the rush from a large box of Mike and Ike’s. But the conspiracy theorist in me thinks the Rangers have something up their sleeves.
Consider these events:

• Minnesota closer Joe Nathan was diagnosed with a torn ligament in his right elbow on Monday and is likely to be lost for the season, leaving the defending AL Central champs without a closer.

• The Rangers held a lengthy “state-of-the-camp” meeting Tuesday morning. The meeting lasted more than an hour and included Nolan Ryan, Jon Daniels and Ron Washington, among others. Among the topics discussed: The progress of the Rangers’ utility player candidates.

• About an hour after the meeting the Rangers, already weighted down with 30 pitchers in camp and 41 players shoved into a 40-man roster, announced they had acquired reliever RHP Edwar Ramirez from the New York Yankees for cash.

• An hour after that, the Rangers announced Jarrod Saltalamacchia had been scratched from Tuesday’s exhibition with soreness near the area where an incision was made last fall to remove a rib and improve circulation to his right arm. The Rangers believe the soreness is just some scar tissue breaking free. But it is also in the area where it could be an intercostal muscle strain. Those strains are notoriously tricky and often require a couple of weeks of rest before the player attempts anything else.

So, here’s what I’m thinking: There are the makings for a potential deal between the Rangers and the Twins to address both teams needs.

The Twins need a closer and it’s entirely possible they will promote from within, but even if they do that, they are going to need to add an arm to the mix. The Twins have extra infielders. Before the spring is over with, they could have any of three to offer (Alexi Casilla, Brendan Harris and Nick Punto). They also have an intriguing 27-year-old switch-hitting backup catcher named Jose Morales, who hit .311 in 54 games last year as the backup to Joe Mauer. The Rangers could use a backup infielder and the Saltalamacchia situation may make them want to add catching insurance. Having Ramirez, who has one minor league option remaining, gives the Rangers even more pitching depth and an overstuffed roster. Might the Rangers be in a position to offer Minnesota a couple of potential extra bullpen arms to address their own bench situation?

This is the kind of trade that probably wouldn’t be made until late in the spring, after the clubs evaluate all their options for the various roles in question, but it is something that is worth monitoring as the rest of spring training plays out.